Interview With A Fink
by breakingelle
Summary: Post-Game. Benny doesn't like what the people of New Vegas say about him, so he's taken it upon himself to set the record straight by scheduling a little interview. The New Vegas Star happily presents to you the full session with reporter notes and even an unexpected visit from the Courier. So who is the real Benny? You'll have to read to find out.


**_So, I absolutely love Benny. He's probably my favorite character in all of the Fallout games. Why? I feel like he's so much more complex than we gamers give him credit for. We don't get to see as nearly as much as him as I would like (so sad) so I've decided to flesh him out a bit and explore more of his character. This was more of a thing for me as a writing exercise but I thought I'd post it anyway. This also goes along with another courier story I'm writing where Benny is dragged back to New Vegas for reasons I'm not sure I want to share (ohh mystery...it really isn't that hard to figure out). So parts might be a little confusing, sorry for that! When I decided to post this I went back and tried to make them a little more clear, but like I said this wasn't really intended for the public eye. I hope you enjoy anyway and if you like my Benny and Courier, hopefully you'll stay tuned for a courier story I've got up my sleeve. _**

**_-breakingelle_**

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><p><em>Everything moves fast in New Vegas. The lights, the people, the fads, the card games, even the hookers; but if there is one thing that's stood the test of time in Sin City, it's Benny Gecko. Yes that's right, New Vegas' most notorious casino sat down to talk with me! He's best known now as the would be killer of Indigo Blue, the Courier and savior of New Vegas. This is his first ever interview with the press and he assures me it's his last. He says his only reason for agreeing to this is to paint the picture of the real Benny, the man behind the flashing Tops lights. Ever since Indigo snatched up New Vegas in her hands, she's been the talk of the town, right along with the "Ben-Man." He doesn't like the stories going on about him, and so he's giving me the scoop to set things right . The first thing Benny says as he takes his seat is "I ain't a fink!" and if that doesn't set the tone for the interview, then I don't know what does.<em>

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><p>"Look before you start asking questions I gotta tell you, I ain't a fink! Yeah, I ain't gonna deny that I shot Indy in the head, but I got my reasons. Her idea for a independent Vegas? Stolen from yours truly." Benny says, leaning back in his chair. We're sitting in an empty Aces Theater. It's noon and the show doesn't start until nine. Not even the bartender is scrambling around. It's just me and Benny.<p>

"Care to elaborate?" I ask.

Benny seems pleased at my curiosity. "See, the whole reason I put a bullet in her noggin' was to get the Platinum Chip. Whoever held the chip held the keys to New Vegas. I got the grand idea to overthrow House and give this town its freedom from NCR, Legion, and everyone else who wanted to get in the way."

"But obviously things didn't go as planned."

Benny sneers and takes a gold plated cigarette case from inside his jacket. It pops open with a click and he takes one and sticks it in between his lips. "Want one?" He offers. I quickly say no and he shrugs before stuffing it back in his jacket and coming back out with a similar looking lighter. The room is filled with the smell of some strange sweet and spicy scent I can't place.

"It's clove," He says, watching me. "Rare as hell but I won't smoke anything else. Once you have your first taste, you can't go back to that regular shit ever again."

"If I remember the story correctly, it was your cigarettes that led Indigo to you." I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they did. Or so she says. Who knows. But what were we talking about again? My plan to take over Vegas, right?"

"Correct."

Benny smiles. "Well it was a genius plan. Would have worked if that pussycat had stayed dead."

"So you said if you had the chip you controlled Vegas. How?"

"Real simple. It was the key to the Mark II Securitrons. There was an army of them under the bunker at Caesar's camp. If I controlled those, I could run over anybody that got in my fucking way. I could kill House and secure the town. Not even the NCR would have the balls to challenge me. But, things didn't go so smoothly. Old Baldy caught me sneaking around. Tied me up and gave Indy the executioner's axe. I thought I was going to die so I told her my plans thinking if she had any sense after me scrambling her brains, she wouldn't let Caesar or NCR march into Vegas. Then after I was spilling my soul, the broad handed me a stealth boy and untied me. Just like that! I ran off and she...she took over my town."

Benny shakily blows out smoke and chuckles to himself. He grabs the glass of whiskey he poured himself and downs it in one swallow. So far I'm not seeing the sleazy casino owner he is pegged to be but maybe he's just a good actor.

"Let's go back, Benny. Back to the night in Goodsprings. Tell me, what was going through your mind when you grabbed an innocent girl and held a gun to her forehead?"

"What was going through my mind?" Benny asks. "Hell, a lot of things. How to ditch the Khans when I was done with them, what I was going to do next with the chip, how long it would take me to reach Vegas if we passed back through Quarry Junction."

"So you didn't think about the life you were about to take? That the girl tied up and gagged had nothing to do with your scheming and you were just going to...kill her."

Benny hesitates. He seems conflicted and I can see it in his unfocused eyes that he is reliving his night in the Goodsprings cemetery. "Like I said," He answers slowly. "That night I was thinking about a lot of things. You're asking if I felt guilty, right? If I felt any kind of remorse for popping a little girl in the head? You want the honest to god truth?"

"I want the real story here Benny. I want it straight."

He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his gelled hair. "I ain't a stranger to killing people. I was Tribal once. We ganked people all the time. Hell, everyone in the Mojave has had to send a soul packing at some point in their life. Yeah, the courier was little bit different from your average raider of Fiend. She was innocent. Had nothing to do with anything, just wanted her payment, but did I feel for her? Not really. I saw her as a loose end that needed to be cut. Not tied up, chopped off completely. When I saw her coming down the road there was something in me like dread. Like a "Are you really gonna kill that little girl, Benny?" type thing. Not for a second did I think, nah...I'll let her walk."

There is no coldness in his eyes as he speaks, and I do not know if that should scare or comfort me. "So you felt nothing? She was just a nobody to you?"

"Well I wouldn't say that I felt nothing. I did feel something. Maybe I knew what I was going to do all along but when I looked into her eyes for the first time I felt more of that dread...and a sadness. It made me hesitate. Probably why I didn't make a kill shot. But I thought it was necessary for her to die if Vegas was ever to get her freedom."

"And afterwards, after you left Goodsprings, did you ever feel guilty then? Or did you feel that what you had done was the right thing?"

"I'm not going to lie, I thought about her sometimes. Once or twice I had a dream about her. I'd watch myself shoot her over and over again. I woke up in a sweat but...it didn't rattle me like it should have. I'm not just saying that to sound tough, I'm saying it cause it's true. Those dreams were more of an annoyance. I thought I did the right thing by killing her. What was one nobody for the whole damn town? It really wasn't much of a payment. She should have been proud she'd been apart of something so big. But hey, I think she was running the gig from the start now." He shrugs, blowing smoke out his nose. It is my turn now to down my drink. I can't tell if he's cold or just dedicated.

"Alright, moving on a little down the road here. When Indigo showed up on your doorstep, what went through your mind?"

"Oh hell, surprise. What else? When you shoot somebody in the head you expect them to stay in the ground and rot. You can't imagine what it's like to see someone who you thought was a corpse come sashaying in the front door," Benny laughs. "But after the initial shock wore off I knew what the broad wanted, and I didn't want to stick around and see the show. That girl was after revenge."

"Well wouldn't you be?"

Benny cocks a smile. "Hell yeah I would. Maybe I'd exact it with a little more style, but I give her points for effort. She tracked me across the Mojave like a bloodhound. I never even saw it coming. Like I said, what's dead is dead. Didn't think it would be coming back to life."

"Speaking of which," I say. "How did you not know she was coming? It was all the Mojave could talk about."

"First of all, I wouldn't say the Mojave was talking loudly. It was more like whispers. I pride myself with knowing everything, but those few weeks after Goodsprings were spent with my nose to the ground. I was a wanted man. The Khans, House, and maybe even Caesar wanted to see me dead. I holed up in a shack for awhile. I don't have one of those fancy Pip-Boys Indy has so I couldn't exactly tune in to Mr. New Vegas' show. Besides, bad radio reception in the middle of nowhere."

"When'd you decide to return to Vegas?"

Benny shrugs. "I don't know. I just felt something in my gut that said it was time to go home. I packed up and left. I reached the city by dawn. That night, guess who showed up at my doorstep."

"Indigo."

"You got it sister." Benny sighs. "Want another drink?"

"Sure."

Benny glances across the room only to frown when he realizes the bartender isn't at work yet. He nods to the bar and rises from his chair. At a moderate distance I follow him. He has a very confident walk. One hand holds his cigarette to his lips and the other is causally stuffed in his pants pocket. His shoulders are thrown back and his chin is held high, but he still somehow manages to look totally relaxed. Benny is a man who isn't to be trifled with.

He walks around to the other side of the bar and I position myself on a stool. He grabs two glasses and pours us each a swallow of bourbon.

"While we're on the subject of Indigo, why did she let you live? You just said Caesar gave her the opportunity to kill you right there on the spot, but she didn't. Did she tell you why?" I ask.

Benny smiles and leans against the bar. "If there's anything you need to know about Indy, it's that she's the most self-righteous bitch you'll ever meet. If she can save the day without shedding blood, she'll figure out how. She told me she was going to be the better person and save my life. That's when she handed me the Stealth-Boy, stuffed Maria into my hands, and cut the ropes." He shakes his head and stares off, his eyes going glassy. "The dumb broad risked her life to save _me_, the man who tried to kill her. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of.."

"Getting out wasn't easy I'm guessing."

Benny snaps out of his trace to give me an incredulous look. "Wasn't easy? Baby, it was like walking through a field full of invisible landmines. You know they're there, but you aren't sure when one's gonna find your foot and blow you sky high. We snuck under one of the slide flaps in Caesar's tent then made our way through camp while praying to the man in the sky that we would get out of there alive. We were making it out of the gate when the sirens went off. We had to hightail it down the river where her little sniper and alcoholic were waiting."

"Boone and Cass?"

"Yeah, them. Whatever. The three told me to get out, never come near New Vegas again. If I did they wouldn't hesitate to kill me. This was a one time thing, letting me go."

"Did it ever cross your mind to kill the three and take the Chip? Finish your dream to rule Vegas?"

Benny laughs loudly. "Did it cross my mind? Oh pussycat did it! My fingers were itching to pull the trigger and really end that gal's life for good. But I didn't. No. I like to pride myself that I'm not Tribal anymore. I have some restraint. Believe it or not I can control my urges to pop every fool in the head who I don't like. I wasn't going to end her life when she just saved mine. I'd given her enough hell. No, I was lucky to be alive. I figured New Reno might need someone like me, so I headed in that direction."

"But your vacation didn't last long. Obviously." I say, gesturing to the room around us. Somehow Benny found his way back home.

"Yeah, funny thing ain't it? I wasn't gone but two weeks or so when that NCR prick stomps in and drags me back. Said he'd like to skin me alive, but Indy wants an audience. I didn't have much of a choice, so I followed. Plus it was a chance to see New Vegas again." Benny gives me a tight smile. I can tell we're moving into territory he'd rather left untouched.

"And why'd she call you back?"

Benny gives me a sad sigh. "I called you here to set record the straight and deliver it to the masses, but some things are just going to have to stay a mystery. If you want an answer to that question, you're going to have to take it up with Indy."

I'm curious now. Everyone in Vegas is curious. It shocked everybody when Indigo let Benny back into town without batting an eyelash. People asked questions and made up ridiculous stories, but there was never a real answer, and it seemed it would stay that way.

"Alright," I smile. "We'll move on then. One of the biggest tales told throughout the city is that you're planning to take over New Vegas and kill Indigo. Is that true?"

Benny laughs. "Yeah, even I hear that one. I'll tell you the honest to god truth, I ain't got an idea like that in my head. Nobody will believe me, but I promise I ain't lyin'."

I'm surprised at how genuine he sounds. "Really? Why? You have a track record of scheming."

"I suppose I do, but this time I'm content with where I am. New Vegas is free. I have my casino to run the way I like. I've got food in the fridge and clean water flowing from the tap. If I want, I can take a hot bath by just turning a knob, or a cold one if I feel like. My clothes don't have holes in them and my couch doesn't smell like two hundred years of bad BO. The booze and women are endless and people wait on me hand and foot. No, I'm done messing around with Vegas and Indy. I don't want to screw up my position. Unless something absolutely irresistible comes along, I'm ducking my head and going with the flow."

It takes me a second to find my voice. This sounds so different from everything he's told me. "S-Seriously?"

He laughs. "Yes pussycat. Like I said, I ain't a fink. I know when the ball is no longer in my court."

It is hard to describe how serious he looks. His face is soft and his smile is genuine. There is no hint that the cold-eyed man who shot the courier is the same one pouring me a drink right now. _I know when the ball is no longer in my court._ Maybe he wears the mask of a man who is content, but his words say otherwise. But I can't actually tell if he's waiting for another opportunity or not. He seems so genuine, he looks happy and...normal.

"You've changed." I say.

He doesn't answer right away, instead he takes out his cigarette case and lights himself another. He blows smoke out slowly and gazes at the stage behind us. "I guess I have. War may never change, but it sure as hell changes people. I like to think I'm a little wiser now I guess. The plan to free Vegas is something I'll always be proud of, even if it didn't turn out like I imagined. In the end...I got what I wanted more or less, and I'm not about to go changing something that's good. No, I don't do that. I change things that are shady, things I know aren't going to turn out all right. I did my part. Indy's got to take the wheel from here."

"Do you really think she can do it? I find it hard to believe you give up the reins so easily. What is it about Indigo that makes you believe New Vegas can survive?"

"That isn't very hard to answer. You've seen what she's done, right? Came back from the dead, tracked me across the Mojave, grabbed the attention of every major faction in the desert, then ended them all. House? Dead by her hand. The Legion? Gone. NCR? Their asses are scampering back into California because of the fire she's lit under their ass. If one little girl can do that, holding up a town is easy. She doesn't look like much, I can tell you that. First time I saw her I thought she was twelve."

"What do you mean?"

Benny frowns. "You've seen her right?"

I fidget in my seat. "Getting an interview with Indigo Blue is about as hard as getting one with you. I've never laid eyes on the girl."

Benny laughs. "You probably have and just never realized it! She's only a few years younger than me but I think she stopped growing when she turned ten. She's only five foot tall and skinny as a bean pole."

I shake my head no and he looks disappointed.

"Well, if you ever do meet her it's something else. You wouldn't think a girl like that could ever do what she's done just by looking at her. She's tiny, lost her memory, and I swear that girl is always sick. That Follower doctor visits her every day. But part of that is my fault. You don't walk away from a bullet to the head totally unscathed."

"What's wrong with her health?" I ask. I'm not here about Indigo Blue, but I would be a fool not to try and snatch up a little information. No one on the street talks about her wellbeing. This could be something that would get the people screaming for more.

Benny shrugs and looks away. "It's the memory loss. She's trying to get back what she's lost."

I lean back in my chair with a sigh. I've delved into something else he wants to leave untouched. If I ever want to get these answers, I'll have to go straight to Indigo. I'll let this one go. "Alright then, only a few questions left."

"Shoot, baby."

I choose my next words carefully. This is one I wasn't sure I was going to ask, but something about the topic of Indigo and Benny is calling my attention. "Some people say she brought you back because there was something between you...romantically. Are you together?"

Benny stares at me for a moment with a frown on his lips, almost if he didn't understand me. "Are you asking if-if me and Indy get between the sheets?"

"Um, yes?"

Benny laughs, a real laugh too. His whole body shakes and he has to turn away for a moment until he can recover himself. "Baby, write this down. Me and Indy aren't a thing. She detests me. Maybe she let me come home, but she has little to do with me. Neither of us are commitment type people anyway. She's got as many men going into her room as I've got women going into mine."

I made sure I did write that down. The rumor was one of the more outrageous ones but everybody on the street liked to bring it up in casual conversation. It made for good gossip but was too juicy to ever be true.

"Okay then. One more-" I'm cut off by the doors to the theater opening and slamming closed again. Benny and I both look up as a girl stomps towards us looking pretty pissed. She's slightly shorter than average height and thin in the way that makes teenage girls want to never eat again. Her hair is long and brown and her eyes a bright blue. She doesn't seem to even notice me, all her attention is on Benny.

"You fucking asshole! I can't believe you actually-"

"Woah, woah, _woah_! Pussycat! Breathe for a moment, baby. We got company. Don't blow your top just yet."

The girl's eyes flicker to me and I smile cheerfully. This can only be the famous courier, Indigo Blue.

"Hi," I say, putting out my hand. "I'm Courtney Parker with the New Vegas Star."

Indigo makes no move to shake my hand. "The Star? Are you a reporter? Benny, what the _hell _are you doing with a reporter?"

I let my hand fall and turn to Benny. The smile on his face is forced.

"Indy, this ain't the time to do this."

"No, it's the perfect time actually. Nobody's backstage, right?" Indy nods to the empty stage. The curtains aren't pulled closed but there are no sounds of performers readying for the night just yet. Indigo doesn't wait for an answer. She stomps towards the steps and Benny follows.

"I'll be right back, pussycat. Take five okay? I gotta deal with the trash."

"I heard that Benny!" Indigo snarls, disappearing backstage. Benny follows and soon I am left alone. For a moment I hear nothing. Then Indigo shouts.

"_Are you out of your goddamn mind?_"

"If anybody's of their mind, it's you honey baby." Benny retorts.

"I could choke you."

"Kinky. Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff."

"Ohh, don't start with me! Boone is this close to emptying a clip in your head as is and here you go pulling shit like this! Whatever trust I've put in you is gone! And then after pulling a stunt like that you have the nerve to schedule an _interview_?"

"Whatever I do with my free time is none of your concern. Last time I checked you weren't my mother." Benny's voice is lower but there is something in it that makes my skin crawl. Maybe it isn't so hard to believe that he's the same man who shot Indigo.

"No, I'm not. But I let you back into this town. I would think you knew better than this."

"I know how this town ticks, Indy. I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about this interview."

There's a pause and then she answers but her voice is too low for me to hear. I quickly hop off the barstool and silently move across the carpet to a spot closer to the stage. My editor would kill me if he found out I missed out on an argument between the two.

"You're going to have to come up with a good excuse for doing what you've done. Otherwise, I might have to dig _you _a grave."

"Ouch, that's painful."

"I'm serious, Benny."

"I'm serious too."

Silence. I want to know what Benny has done so wrong to get a personal visit from Indigo, but even in all their rage the two are careful at choosing their words.

"Just make sure the next time you want to pull a stunt like that, go through me first. I know you're a big boy but everyone is jumpy."

"Let me tend to my casino the way I please. Next time I'll run it by you, but I'll make my own decisions. You can head back to the Lucky 38 now. You don't look so hot."

"Watch yourself. I let you back into Vegas and I can easily kick you out."

Benny makes a hissing noise. "Ouch again! You're feisty today!"

"Yeah, and you're a grade A asshole all the fucking time."

"Maybe, but you aren't kicking me out anytime soon." His voice is sly and the tension in the room is suffocating. Another silence drags on and I wonder if I should return to my seat. I hesitate though, not one hundred percent sure if they're done talking. It's so quiet I wonder if they left through some back door. I move a bit closer to the stage by the table Benny and I were situated before we moved to the bar. Finally, I hear a long sigh and somebody groans.

"Just behave, okay? I don't think I can handle anything else. I don't have time to to be cleaning up your messes." Indigo says. She sounds tired.

"You won't have to, baby. Worry about yourself and leave everything down here to me." Benny's voice is kinder, gentle almost. A moment before his icy voice was sending chills down my spine, now it almost lulls me to sleep. I'm almost so distracted by it I don't realize what he actually said, but it's too curious not to catch. What did he mean by "leaving everything down here to me?" Had Indigo put him in charge of something?

"I'm trying, but it's hard."

"You're too stubborn for your own good. That reminds me, what did Arcade say?"

"On top of the usual? He says I'm too stressed and I need to "give myself some time off" or some shit like that. Says it's why I keep getting sick. But I don't have time for a vacation. Not when New Vegas is just getting started."

"You should at least get a full night's sleep. You've got a fever and you look like hell, Indy."

This conversation is turning out to be more juicy than Benny's interview itself. This was going in the paper! Damn was I going to get a raise!

"Thanks a lot." She says miserably. Somebody lets out a deep loud cough which could only be Indigo. My hand is aching from all the notes I'm jotting down.

"Sound terrible too. Alright, let's get you out of here and let me finish my interview." Benny says, his voice changing again. He sounds so suave. It seems he has a book of personas he flips through, choosing whichever one suits the occasion best.

I take his words as my cue to scamper back to the bar. I take my seat as soon as I hear them coming from around the curtain. I close my notebook and down the rest of my drink. I'm taking out a cigarette as Benny and Indigo approach me and I look up with a smile on my face.

"Everything okay?" I ask, leaning forward as Benny offers a light.

"Just dandy, baby. We're going to have to cut the interview short though. I've got somewhere to be."

"It's fine," I say with a wink. "I've got a lot from you. I think I can paint the picture of the real Benny."

Benny gives me a lopsided grin. "Aces!"

Indigo has been quiet until now. She shakes her head and looks from me to Benny with a look of disgust. "The real Benny? If you want the real Benny you shouldn't go to Benny. You should have come to me, I can tell you everything you need to know."

"The Star doesn't print lies Indy Blue-Blue. They print the truth, and that's what I gave them."

"Yep!" I say, hopping off the stool and grabbing my things. "It's really been a pleasure Benny." I offer my hand and he takes it, bowing and kissing it like a gentlemen. Indigo rolls her eyes.

"It's been very nice to finally meet you aswell, Indigo." I say with a stiff nod.

She tries for a smile. "Yeah, nice to meet you too."

I can tell I'm no longer wanted and so I give another nod and warm smile before hurrying out the door. I've been in there longer than I thought. It's late afternoon now and the sun's dying orange light casts a glow on Vegas. I shield my eyes as I exit the building, my journal heavy with the tales of Benny Gecko and Indigo Blue.

_In conclusion the mystery of Benny is just as, if not more, strange than before. I've been given an insight on the man himself, but his answers only seem to solidify what we already know. Despite otherwise saying so, he is content with the rumors surrounding him. His "I ain't a fink!" attitude is deafening. The cool cat persona he's drowning in is exactly what he wants the New Vegas and Wasteland people to see. The real Benny is long gone, suffocated by a vast catalog of fake personalities that he's used over the years. Just like he said, The Star can only report the truth, so I'll give the people of the Mojave the truth about the famous Tops casino owner._

_Benny Gecko doesn't know who the hell he is. _

_That's right, for all his confidence and bravado the man is clueless. He is a mystery to himself just as much as he is to the public. He couldn't even give me a clear person to write about. One moment he was hot, and the next he was cold. Benny was more scattered than a jet addict._

_So who is the real Benny? I don't really think I can tell you good readers. I don't think anybody can. I can't tell you why he's back or why he and the courier seem to have some sort of business partnership-_

"_Business partnership?_ What the hell is that?" Benny looks up from his reading to Indigo who sits across from him. She too has her own paper. Indy scans over the words, trying to find what he's talking about.

"Damn you for being such a fast reader." She snarls, putting her finger on 'partnership.' "Out of everything she's saying about you? About us? That's what you focus on. That really isn't even a bad way to put what we're doing."

"Baby, I've been in a few business partnerships and this ain't one."

Indy shrugs. "So? More stories to float around New Vegas and distract the people from our alliance."

"You sound like me," Benny smirks. "Maybe you're finally learning something."

"Keep reading." Indy snaps, picking back up her paper.

-_And I definitely can't tell you why the famous courier puts so much trust in him. I can say he scares me. A man who can talk about almost murder so easily is frightening. I can tell you trusting him is foolish. A man who can't make up his mind is dangerous, and a man with as much ambition as Benny is downright terrifying. He obviously holds no remorse for his previous crimes nor does he seem to be done scheming and coming up with more master plans. He claims he'll leave New Vegas alone, but a man like him is never finished until they have what they want or they're dead. _

_My advice? Keep an eye on Benny Gecko. Watch your back each time you go play slots or blackjack at The Tops. He's clever and crafty. It's only a matter of time before we're hearing about some other poor girl he's shot in the head. New Vegas' favorite bad boy isn't someone to be trifled with, and for all his charm, don't get close. He's just like a cactus flower, real pretty to look at, but there's no getting close._

_Courtney Parker_

_The New Vegas Star Senior Reporter_

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><p>Indy puts down her paper and stares across the table at Benny. He's still scanning over the words with a look on his face as if he doesn't understand what he's reading. The reporter's words give her something to think about too. Trust. How much could she really trust this man? She didn't like to admit it, but Parker was pretty spot on about Benny.<p>

"Do you believe this shit? I hired her to come here and tell the truth about me! Those pricks at the Star have been begging to talk with me and I finally give in and this is what they print."

"What did you think they were really going to say, Benny?"

Benny throws the paper aside and leans forward in his seat. He looks as if he isn't sure to be frustrated or angry. "I knew exactly what they were going to say."

"Then why do you look so surprised?"

"I don't know." He frowns.

Indy is silent. She watches him. He is the one person she has trouble reading, and right now he is as blank as a cloudy Mojave night sky. She wishes she could get inside his head and dissect everything that is Benny Gecko, but she knows such a thing is impossible. Even the reporter couldn't do that. She was right when she said no one can ever know the real Benny.

"Well, it doesn't matter what people think or don't think about me. I'm top dog and they ain't. Doesn't matter." He slicks back his hair and takes a drink.

"Do I sense wounded pride?" Indy smirks.

"Babydoll, don't."

His voice is stiff. Dangerous. She knows that tone and she knows not to push him any further. He's too on edge. Something about the article has him upset.

"Benny? What the hell? It's just some stupid article. It didn't say anything we don't already know. If anything, it was a good thing. It'll get people off our backs for awhile."

"Yeah, maybe. We were a little too liberal in our argument though. She caught on that we're in the same league."

"Nobody is going to catch on that." Inday says. She doesn't sound hopeful. Eventually someone will raise the question in simple terms and it'll be all Vegas can talk about. Benny seems to realize it too because he lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes his head.

"I'm going up to my suite. If you need me, you know what floor I'm on." Benny rises and walks out of the room, lighting a cigarette as he goes. He leaves behind him the smell of his calonge slowly drowning in the scent of clove. Indy sits alone at the bar, fingering her own glass and wondering. He was a time bomb and the seconds until his explosion were ticking by quickly. How long could she continue to trust him?

Not very long. Not very long at all.


End file.
